A.G. GANCARSKIOn Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 457 into law, a measure that boosts penalties for terrorism charges.Among those charges: paramilitary training from foreign terrorist organizations; lending material support to those organizations; joining those organizations; and agri-terrorism.The bill creates a more expansive definition of “terrorism” and “terrorist activities” in the wake of the Pulse massacre in June.Terroristic crimes, intended to “influence … affect … or retaliate against” a government via attacking citizens, would be defined as felonies of the first degree in the legislation, drawing a maximum prison term of 30 years.Sen. Aaron Bean carried the Senate version (SB 476), and noted that the bill was a priority of Gov. Scott, who had this to say in a Thursday afternoon news release.“Last year, Florida came under attack when an ISIS-inspired terrorist stormed into Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and killed 49 innocent people. Today, while we continue to mourn this tragic loss...

by Doug Stanglin , USA TODAY
Masked gunmen opened fire Friday on a caravan of Coptic Christian pilgrims heading to a monastery south of Cairo, killing at least 28 men, women and children, Egyptian security and health officials said.The attack came one month after Pope Francis visited Egypt in part to show his support for the Christians of the Muslim majority Arab nation who have been increasingly targeted by Islamic militants.Although no group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack, the Islamic State affiliate in Egypt vowed — following the pope's visit — to escalate attacks against Christians, urging Muslims to steer clear of Christian gatherings and western embassies the militants planned to target.While the official toll from Friday's attack was 26, according to Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mugahed, Egyptian security and medical officials told the Associated Press that 28 people were dead, and 23 injured. The officials spoke to...

by Alan M. Dershowitz - Gatestone Institute
Every time a horrendous terrorist attack victimizes innocent victims we wring our hands and promise to increase security and take other necessary preventive measures. But we fail to recognize how friends and allies play such an important role in encouraging, incentivizing, and inciting terrorism.
If we are to have any chance of reducing terrorism, we must get to its root cause. It is not poverty, disenfranchisement, despair or any of the other abuse excuses offered to explain, if not to justify, terrorism as an act of desperation. It is anything but. Many terrorists, such as those who participated in the 9/11 attacks, were educated, well-off, mobile and even successful. They made a rational cost-benefit decision to murder innocent civilians for one simple reason: they believe that terrorism works.
And tragically they are right. The international community has rewarded terrorism while punishing those who...

By Matthew Clark
Each and every time another dastardly jihadist terrorist attack is inflicted on the world, headlines emerge that the savagery was carried out by a “lone wolf” terrorist.
As a lawyer who deals in facts, the absurdity of this concept is beyond the pale. The mountain of evidence that has been amassed in the wake of dozens upon dozens of radical Islamic terrorist attacks points to one and only one conclusion – there is nothing lone about jihadist terrorism.
To be sure, there have been instances of lone wolf attacks – singular individuals who are carrying out their own deranged mass murder. The Unabomber and the Oklahoma City bombings (though even that was two individuals) come to mind. These were one-off acts of terror.
As I have written before, radical Islamic terrorism on the other hand is anything but.
Sometimes we get lost in the details of each...

RT.com
Photographs and videos shared across social media platforms are revealing utter chaos in the Philippines city of Marawi as government forces and militants linked to Islamic State battle for control.
Marawi, which is colloquially known as the ‘Islamic city’ is the focal point of a dramatic outbreak of violence on the archipelago’s southern island of Mindanao.
Heavily armed insurgents laid siege to a prison, seized hostages in a church and paraded through the streets in Marawi in a show of force.
The crisis spurred Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to invoke martial law on the entire island of Mindanao and the city was subject to a blackout Tuesday as government forces engaged with militants and snipers patrolled the streets.
A photo posted on Twitter shows a mosque, the Saduc Masjid, silhouetted by a fire in the background, which the user says is “allegedly” the nearby prison in the aftermath of...

by Josie Ensor
The father and younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber have been arrested in Libya.The Telegraph understands Hashem Abedi, 20, the brother of suspected attacker Salman Abedi, was arrested last night in the capital Tripoli by counterterrorism forces on suspicion of links to the Islamic State group. Three armed vehicles arrived to take away their father, Ramadan Abedi, an administrative manager of the Central Security Force in Tripoli, late Wednesday afternoon.
A third brother, Ismail, has also been arrested after police raids in the UK. The family are believed to live between Manchester, where the children were born and grew up, and Libya.Earlier today the Abedi brothers’ father spoke from Libya, where he said his son was innocent. “We don't believe in killing innocents. This is not us,” Abedia senior said. "My son was as religious as any child who opens his eyes in a religious family,"...

Although many questions remain, bombing was the evil act of a coward.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
Once again, the world mourns the deaths of innocents at the hands of a hate-filled attacker. And once again, we must regroup in the face of tragedy and double down on efforts to prevent such senseless acts.
Monday’s attack in England was especially heartbreaking because it targeted a crowd of mostly teenage and preteen concertgoers and their families. A shrapnel-filled bomb blasted through an entrance hall of a 20,000-seat arena in Manchester, taking at least 22 lives and injuring 59. Among the dead was an 8-year-old girl. The suicide bomber targeted concertgoers leaving the venue where they had heard American pop star Ariana Grande perform.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria claimed responsibility for the attack in Great Britain’s second-largest city, but that was not confirmed as of late Tuesday. It...

Army and police react with gunfire after residents in Marawi City raise alarmby Gabriel Samuels - The Independent
A group of heavily-armed militants from a group linked to Isis have reportedly stormed a city in the Philippines and engaged in firefights with the national army.Residents of Marawi City, in the south of the country, were urged to remain indoors as at least 15 gunmen from a Muslim rebel group called Maute stormed the streets brandishing assault rifles.The group, which is also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, have reportedly received support from Isis.
Troops and a special police force were deployed to the city after residents in a nearby village raised the alarm and appealed for help.President Rodrigo Duterte then declared martial law and a state of emergency in the province of Mindano. General Eduardo Ano, the military chief of staff, said at least one police officer was killed and...

BBC NEWS
The UK terror threat level has been raised to its highest level of "critical", meaning further attacks may be imminent, Theresa May has said.
The move came after investigators were unable to rule out whether Manchester bombing suspect Salman Abedi acted alone, the prime minister said.
Military personnel will now be deployed to protect key sites.
Twenty-two people were killed and 59 injured when a suicide bomber attacked Manchester Arena on Monday evening.
Manchester attack: Latest updates
What we know so far
Eight-year-old and 'superfan' among victims
Who was the suspect Salman Abedi?
The prime minister also confirmed the government had triggered "Operation Temperer", a long-standing emergency plan to put soldiers into key public locations to support armed police in protecting the public.
Military personnel may also be seen at other events over the coming weeks, such as concerts, Mrs May said, and would work under the command...

CBS NEWS
LONDON -- Police on Tuesday identified the man who blew himself up the previous night at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. CBS News confirmed Abedi was known to British authorities prior to the attack.In a generic statement posted online, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for Abedi's suicide bomb attack, which left 22 people dead, including children, at one of the entrances to the Manchester Arena.
Officials said one man was arrested Tuesday in southern Manchester in connection with the attack, and urged people to avoid the center of the city as raids continued at addresses around the city.Police and British Prime Minister Theresa May made it clear the focus of the investigation was to determine whether the bomber "was acting alone, or was part of a wider group."ISIS issued its claim of responsibility in a brief, generic...

By 9NEWS
Police are treating the deaths of 19 people in a suspected explosion after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena as a terror attack until more is known.Fifty other victims are being treated at six hospitals after at least one explosion struck the arena's foyer about 10.30pm yesterday local time (7.30am today AEST), after Grande finished performed and as concertgoers were leaving. Andy, who was waiting to pick up his daughter and wife from the concert, said he was blown "about 30 foot" by the blast.
There was "carnage everywhere", he told the BBC.One video filmed in the arena's main area appears to show the moment the blast happened in the foyer.A loud bang can be heard, and concertgoers then look around and being to panic.
Andy said he struggled to find his wife and daughter in the wake of the blast and looked at bodies on the...

Asharq Al-Awsat
Riyadh – King of Jordan Abdullah II called for coordinated and global action at every level to counter terrorism, reiterating that a fair solution for the Palestinian cause must be reached.During the Arab-Islamic-US summit held in Riyadh on Sunday, the monarch said the meeting is an effective response to the serious threats facing the world.He stated that the future will be shaped by actions, urging: “We all have to work in partnership in four key areas.”The King explained the four key areas include the grave challenge of terrorism and extremism.“Only a holistic approach can address the complex layers of the threat, from its evil ideas to its attack on prosperity and security. As you have mentioned, this demands coordinated and global action at every level,” King Abdullah told the summit.He reiterated that success requires mutual trust as well as strength, explaining that the fight will not be won...

Newsweek
by Gilad Erdan
President's Trump visit to the Middle East has created an historic opportunity to form a new international alliance against terror. As Israel's Public Security Minister, I have been leading my country's response to the wave of radical terror washing over us. Similar attacks have been sweeping across the world, from San Bernardino to Orlando to Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and Cairo.World leaders are increasingly coming to realize that this global problem demands a global response. Now is the time to make that realization a reality, and to build a counter-terror alliance that includes Israel, Arab states, the West and all like-minded countries.The terrorism striking civilians around the world has several factors in common. It is inspired by a radical ideology that uses an extremist view of Islam to justify the murder of innocents, whether they be Christians, Jews or Muslims. The terrorists have most often been motivated...

by TheWeek.com
Federal agents are using a secret cell phone tracking device designed for counter-terrorism to catch undocumented immigrants as part of President Trump's crackdown, The Detroit News has learned. "The cell-site simulator device, known as a Hailstorm or Stingray, tricks nearby phones into providing location data and can interrupt cellular service of all devices within the targeted location," the paper writes. "Federal investigators are required to obtain a judge's approval to use the device."
FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used the device in March, for example, to catch 23-year-old Salvadoran restaurant worker Rudy Carcamo-Carranza near Detroit. Carcamo-Carranza had been twice deported and faces drunken driving allegations and a hit-and-run crash. The federal agents were apparently able to use the device with a federal search warrant affidavit.
"While the warrant does ensure a modicum of judicial oversight, it is troubling to see the government using invasive...

Jerusalem Post
by Reuters
DUBAI - Iran's ruling powers represent the "tip of the spear" of global terrorism, Saudi King Salman said in a speech on Sunday during a visit of US President Donald Trump to the kingdom."Our responsibility before God and our people and the whole world is to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism wherever they are ... The Iranian regime represents the tip of the spear of global terrorism."The king also said in a televised speech that Saudi Arabia would not be lenient in trying anyone who finances terrorism."We will never be lenient in trying anyone who finances terrorism, in any way or means, to the full force of the law."
Read more: http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Saudi-king-says-Iran-at-forefront-of-global-terrorism-492434...

9news.com.au
by Emily McPherson
One of Australia’s leading counter-terrorism experts has slammed the length of time taken to complete the Lindt Café inquest, saying the face of terrorism has changed in the two-and-a-half years since the siege.Australian National University Professor Clarke Jones, who has worked on national security for more than 17 years and also gave evidence at the inquest, said the government needed to respond more quickly to the terrorist threat.“Why has the inquest taken so long? I know there’s been a lot of court appearances and that takes time to get everyone together but I would have expected 12 months. The years have really dragged on, it’s just crazy,” Dr Jones told Nine.com.au.“Things need to move a lot faster. I will say that to anything around extremism or terrorism. What was terrorism, even three to five years ago, isn’t what it is today. Offshore the Islamic State were...

By Cynthia Farahat - Clarion ProjectAn innocent-sounding New Jersey-based organization called Egyptian AmericansFor Freedom And Justice (EAFAJ) made the rounds on Capitol Hill May 4 to urge U.S. lawmakers not to support designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.The visit, which came hours after the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Hasm terrorist organization claimed responsibly for a deadly attack on a security convoy in Cairo, wasn’t the first time radical Islamists have masqueraded as human rights activists when seeking to sway American minds and won’t be the last.Although EAFAJ makes an effort to talk the talk of democracy and freedom, its unabashed support for armed jihadis wreaking havoc in Egypt is hard to miss. At a November 2016 EAFAJ event, radical imam Mohamed Elbar declared that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi “ought to be beheaded.”The EAFAJ delegation included several known New Jersey-based Islamic extremists. EAFAJ chairman Hani ElKadi, for example, helped...

By: Gopi - Social NewsIndia-Sweden talk on cooperation in counter-terrorismNew Delhi, May 18 (IANS) India and Sweden on Thursday discussed bilateral issues, including threat from the Islamic State, radicalisation, and steps taken to counter global terror.The talks were held between a delegations led by Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs and Trade Ann Linde and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju here."Both appreciated the ongoing cooperation in counter-terrorism, cyber security and anti-radicalism being pursued by the two countries and emphasised the need for close collaboration both at bilateral and multilateral levels to counter this very serious threat," a Home Ministry statement said.Linde observed that terrorism and IS threat are big issues for Europe and urgent steps are being taken to check the same.She shared Swedish perceptions about Brexit and challenges of refugee influx faced by her country.While she reiterated the commitment on economic cooperation, the Swedish side offered transfer...

Business Insider
by Reuters
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe will face an exodus of Islamic State fighters defeated in Syria and Iraq this year, more dangerous and battle hardened than previous returnees, the head of the U.N. Security Council's counterterrorism agency said on Thursday.Speaking to reporters following meetings with EU officials, Jean-Paul Laborde said several European countries estimate that the rates of fighters returning from conflict zones has increased by one-third over the past year.Threat levels in Western Europe are high following a spate of deadly attacks that killed dozens over the past two years, with many nations concerned about their ability to guard their borders.Laborde said the foreign fighters seeking to return to Europe now are much "more dangerous" than previous waves of returnees, full of resentment after years on the battlefield including in recent confrontations.Islamic State has lost large swathes of territory during military campaigns, including by the Russian-backed...

SF Gate
NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on the global extortion cyberattack that hit dozens of countries (all times local):
3:25 p.m.
A law enforcement official says investigators believe additional companies in the United States have been affected by the global "ransomware" software cyberattack but have not yet come forward to report the attacks.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation.
The official says that investigators have obtained some of the phishing emails and are analyzing them for "bread crumbs" that may lead them to the attackers.
Authorities have been encouraging affected companies to contact law enforcement and not pay the ransom.While the attack that emerged Friday hitting companies and governments around the world ebbed in intensity Monday, experts warned that new versions of the virus could emerge.Investigators fear the ransomware can...